A rich program of master classes of renowned chefs awaits the visitors of the fourth edition of Gastronomix 2020 – the one of a kind culinary forum for professionals in Bulgaria. For a consecutive year the forum is held within the framework of the exhibition for hotel and restaurant equipment – SIHRE.
The program of master classes includes:
Master Class CHOCOLATE
Pastry Chef Youri Baltaliyski, Czech Republic
28 January, Tuesday – 13:30 – 17:30
Pastry Chef Youri Baltaliyski, Czech Republic: With over 20 years of experience abroad in leading hotels. His biggest passion in Pastry art is chocolate which he has presented to multiple prestigious culinary competitions and has won several awards. His ultimate goal and objective is to provide a balanced approach between product quality and financial results and to be recognised as a key Team member achieving exceptional results for hotel management, owners and people development.
Zero waste; Creative dishes with unpretentious products
Chef Emil Minev, culinary director of Le Cordon Bleu London
30 January, Thursday – 11:00 – 11:45
31 January, Friday – 11:00 – 12:30
Emil Minev is an extremely successful Bulgarian chef. For 3 years he has been the culinary director of Le Cordon Bleu in London – the most prestigious school for professional cooking in Europe. He is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu in London. Chief Minev became popular in Bulgaria in 2004-2005 as a creative and avant-garde artist and then he went on his way to the luxury hotel Jumeirah Emirates Towers in Dubai as chef of the exquisite VU’s, and later as chef of all restaurants in the hotel. This was followed by a period in the Maldives and in Tokyo, as the head of Shangri-La’s kitchens. Then he went back to London to take part in the opening of a Shangri-La hotel in the British capital, in the famous The Shard building.
Emil Minev shares the philosophy of cooking with local products, produced by small farmers, cooking with zero waste and in general of the responsible behavior in culinary to the land and the environment – natural and social.
Ottoman-Turkish culinary tradition in the modern Balkan cuisine
Ass.Prof. Dr. Ozge Samandzhi, head of the Department of Gastronomy and Culinary arts at Ozyegin University, Istanbul
30 January, Thursday – 12:00 – 13:00
Dr. Ozge Samandzhi is an associate professor, university lecturer with extensive experience and the head of the Department of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts at Ozyegin University in Istanbul. She is the author of numerous publications about Ottoman-Turkish culinary culture, such as The Tastes of Istanbul, Turkish Cuisine and The Cuisine of Istanbul in the ХIX Century (France, 2015). Her studies are focused on the process of modernization of the late Ottoman-Turkish culinary culture, the Ottoman Palace Cuisine and the history of the Ottoman-Turkish food. Dr. Samandzhi is part of the editorial board of specialized journals such as Food & History and Yemek ve Kültür (Food and culture).
Traditional cuisine with bio ingredients in Finger Food style
Chef Nihad Mameledzija, Fusion – Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
30 January, Thursday – 13:15 – 14:15
Nihad Mameledzija is among the most recognized and successful chefs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, also known abroad, with rich experience and a privileged reputation in the international culinary world. He is one of the founders of the Chefs Association in Bosnia and Herzegovina and is a famous TV personality, hosting numerous culinary shows. He has extensive experience in the field of Italian cuisine, since he has been the chef of Italy’s embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina for 10 years. Nihad shares the philosophy of Slow Food’s eco-gastronomic movement and helps to strengthen the network of small traditional farmers in his native country. Nihad Mameledzija has worked as chef of the Fusion restaurant in Swissotel in Sarajevo, where he used local products delivered by small farmers and promotes the biodiversity on the plate.
Local traditions and knowledge – the basis of a successful model for Slow Food agrotourism and Restaurant
Chef Altin Prenga, Mrizi and Zanave, Fista – Albania
30 January, Thursday– 14:30 – 16:00
Altin Prenga and his brother Anton have created a legendary restaurant for Albania and the Balkans, called Mrizi and Zanave – 60 km north of Tirana, a mandatory stop for visiting presidents, ministers and movie stars from all over the world, visiting the West Balkan country. It was not a surprise that few years ago, Altin Prenga was nominated by Italian Vogue as one of the four newest food revolutionaries.
At GastronomiX 2020 in Sofia, Altin Prenga will present his culinary philosophy and will demonstrate how he transforms the fantastic products from a rural region in Albania – both farmers and wildlife, into delicious and modern author’s dishes, stemming from the local traditions.
Lecture: The Story of Pizza Napoletana
Gennaro Luciano, Pizzaiolo Verace Senior, owner of Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba in Naples—the oldest pizzeria in the world!
30 January, Thirstday, 16:30 – 17:30
Genaro Luciano is the fifth generation owner of Antica Pizzeria Port´Alba (the oldest pizzeria in the whole world, founded in 1830). The pizzaria is established in 1738 as a trade stand, Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba was opened in 1830 in the city center on Via Port’Alba 18 Street. The restaurant replaces a street traders, who made pizza in wood-fired ovens and take it to the streets. Soon the pizzaria became a prominent meeting place for the people living on the street. Most patrons were artists, students or others with a little amount of money, so the pizzas usually were made simple, with toppings like oil and garlic. Payment system has been developed, and it’s called pizza otto, which allows customers to pay up to 8 days after meals. In the time, a local joke has appeared which says that a dish from Port’Alba might be the last free meal for someone who dies before he can pay.
3 * * * Michelin Lasarte and its environment, our way of being and cooking
Chief Paolo Casagrande, Lasarte, Barcelona (* * *)
31 January, Friday – 12:30 – 13:30
Chef Paolo Casagrande is the chef of Lasarte restaurant in Barcelona, awarded with 3 Michelin stars. At the beginning of his career he paved his way by working in several restaurants in Italy. Later, he continued to improve his culinary skills in prestigious top-class restaurants in Milan, London and Paris, where he worked with world-renowned chefs as Alain Soliveres. In 2003, Casagrande settled in the restaurant Martín Berasategui in Lasarte (Gipuscoa, Spain). Later, Martin appointed him to lead the famous restaurant Ritz-Carlton M. B. in Abama (Canary Islands), where he gained the first Michelin star for the restaurant. In 2012 Paolore- joined Martin Berasategui again. Because of their good collaboration and mutual trust, Martin appointed Paolo as a manager of the Barcelona Lasarte restaurant, which since 2017 has been enjoying the highest recognition in the world of restaurants – three stars of Michelin type. Since February 2016, under the management of Martin Berasategui, Paolo again took the helm of the entire gastronomic project of Monument Hotel – a new Grand luxury hotel, part of which are the restaurants Lasarte (3 Michelin stars) and Oria (1 Michelin star).
Blending Turkish & Ottoman cuisine with Balkan cuisine
Chef Umut Karakush, Turkey
31 January, Friday – 14:00-15:30
Chef Karakush was the founder of the first Spice Library in Turkey in 2017 and was awarded the most creative Chef of the Year award for 2017 and 2018. He teaches Turkish cuisine and spices in several private schools and universities. He also manages various projects for Anatolian cuisine and modern appetizers in London. For the past 7 years he has been working on the subject of Turkish spices and is dealing with the zero waste in the kitchen.
“Bulgarian is fashionable” or how trendy business model is mixed with social responsibility-(P) The evolution of modern Bulgarian cuisine
Chief Georgi Boykovski, R. Karmare and Bagri, Sofia
31 January, Friday– 16:00 – 17:30
In Bulgaria, boss Boykowski became famous for his work in the Cosmos Restaurant, and later opened his restaurant “Karmare” – with impressive cuisine, combining traditionalism and gardism and fully dedicated to the finest local handicraft products, Produced with care by small farmers and manadgias. He unites efforts with the team of “Bagri” – another Sofia restaurant, profating the religion of the Slow food and the local seasonal products of small producers. Before returning to Bulgaria he worked with Jordi Roka himself on the desserts in the Barcelona outlet of the Brothers Roca, restaurant RocaMoo, with a Michelin star. Two years is also a pastry chef and part of the creative team of DiverXo in Madrid, a restaurant with three Michelin stars of the radical avant-garde David Munoz.
Pre-registration here
